A GPs' leader in Bradford says he would have every sympathy with patients who decided to travel abroad for routine operations.

Britain has the longest waiting times for surgery in Europe and patients are increasingly demanding to be treated abroad.

Figures from health ministries and hospitals in Europe show that many operations are only marginally more expensive and waiting lists are drastically lower.

A European Court of Justice ruling earlier this month means the British Government cannot refuse to pay for Britons to be treated in other EU countries unless the NHS can offer the same treatment "without undue delay".

Dr John Givans, GPs' leader in Bradford, said he had every sympathy with patients stuck on long waiting lists who could see no other way out.

"While I do not know of any cases personally, I have heard of numerous incidences of this sort of thing," he said. "It demonstrates that where other countries are spending significantly more of the gross domestic product on health spending, there is a better service. Despite the spin put on the money going in to health services, we are not spending enough."

In Britain 6.8 per cent of the GDP is spent on health, while in Germany the figure is 10.3 per cent and in France 9.4 per cent.

Figures show that this translates into shorter waiting times for many procedures. In Holland patients can be treated for varicose veins within half of the time they would in Britain - 32 weeks - and at a fraction of the cost, £279 compared with the average costs of £799 to the NHS.

There is no waiting time in Germany for cataract removal, compared to an average delay of 29 weeks in the UK.

A Department of Health spokesman said the option of sending patients abroad was not one they were looking at.

"Patients should not have to go abroad - there should be the capacity here to care for all our patients," he added.